A Modest Proposal Essays - Humour, Pamphlets, Fiction, Free Essays

A Modest Proposal Essays - Humour, Pamphlets, Fiction, Free Essays A Modest Proposal A Modest Proposal was a satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift depicting the horrific conditions of Ireland and the lives of the Irish people in 1729. The author portrays and attacks the cruel and unjust oppression of Ireland by its oppressor, the mighty English and ridicules the Irish people at the same time. However, Swift's opposition is indirectly presented. Jonathan Swift is able to do so by using the persona, irony, and wit in order to expose the remarkable corruption and degradation of the Irish people, and at the same time present them with practicable solutions to their unscrupulous and pathetic lives. The author uses a satire to accomplish his objective not only because he is able to conceal his true identity but also because it is the most effective way to awake the people of Ireland into seeing their own depravity. Swift creates a fictional persona because by hiding his true identity he is able to convince the readers of the significance of Ireland's problem and allow them to see truth and reality. The persona is a concerned Irishman who is very intelligent, sound, and serious. He appears to be a brute and a monster for proposing something evil and immoral very calmly as if it is normal to consume the flesh of another human being. What makes his proposal to be even more depraved is that he proposes to eat the babies. The persona declares, and at exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them, in a such a manner as, instead of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding and partly to the clothing of many thousands. The persona justifies his proposal with numerous reasons. Besides the prevention of voluntary abortions and infanticide, it will also prevent the loss of m oney for maintenance of children and the abuse of women and children. The number of Papists would be reduced and the children will not become beggars, thieves, or prostitutes. The proposal will aid in the increase in the status of the peasantry, promote love, and care from the mothers towards their children. However the persona alone is inadequate to make the narrator seem too plausible. The persona must utilize irony and wit in order for his essay to be more efficacious. A Modest Proposal is so effective and appealing because of the authors' copious uses of irony throughout his essay. The title itself is definitely ironic. It provides the reader with false expectations of decency and sensibility on the part of the writer. The butchery of innocent babies and the use of their skin for clothing is way beyond being modest. It is brutal and insane. The proposal is intended to shock and throw the reader off balance. The narrator also ridicules the Irish. His proposal would be a great incentive for marriage, not because the Irish will marry for the expected reasons, of love and happiness. Instead they will marry for money. As the persona pronounces, this would be a great inducement to marriage, which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards or enforced by laws and penalties. Moreover, this proposal if put into effect would aid in establishing love and care in families, between spouses and towards the children. The mother would provide her babies w ith better nourishment. Since, plump, fat, and juicy babies are worth more than the lean and abused ones. The husbands will become fond of their wives and refrain from abusing them, to avoid a possible miscarriage. Furthermore, normally the child is introduced to Christianity to celebrate his or her birth and introduction to Christianity. However, ironically Christenings will celebrate a baby's impending death. The baby must be murdered in order for the parents to profit. Thus, the primary motive of the Irish is money. The persona's ingenious display of irony serves a purpose for attacking, scorning, and exposing the vices of the Irish people. The narrator's brilliant and clever use of wit is definitely noteworthy throughout A Modest Proposal. In order to make cannibalism sound like the most practicable solution, the author wisely uses

Understanding Point of View in Literature

Understanding Point of View in Literature When you read a story, have you ever thought about who is telling it? That component of story-telling is called the point of view (often abbreviated as POV) of a book is the method and perspective an author uses for conveying the story. Writers use point of view as a way to connect with the reader, and there are various ways in which a point of view can impact the experience of the reader. Read on to learn more about this aspect of storytelling and how it can enhance the emotional impact of the narrative.   First-Person POV A first-person point of view comes from the narrator of the story, which may be the  writer or the main character. The storyline will use  personal pronouns, like I and me,   and can sometimes sound a little bit like reading a personal journal or listening to someone talk. The narrator witnesses events first hand and expresses how it looks and feels from his or her experience. The first-person point of view can also be more than one person and will use we when referencing the group.   Check out this example from Huckleberry Finn - Toms most well now, and got his bullet around his neck on a watch-guard for a watch, and is always seeing what time it is, and so there aint nothing more to write about, and I am rotten glad of it, because if Id a knowed what a trouble it was to make a book I wouldnt a tackled it, and aint a-going to no more. Second Person POV A second person point of view is seldom used when it comes to novels, which makes sense if you think about it. In second person, the writer speaks directly to the reader. This would be awkward and confusing in that format! But, its popular in business writing, self-help articles and books, speeches, advertising and even song lyrics. If you are talking to someone about changing careers and giving advice for writing a resume, you might address the reader directly. In fact, this article is written in second person point of view.  Check out the introductory sentence of this article, which addresses the reader: When you read a story, have you ever thought about who is telling it?   Third Person POV The third person is the most common type of narration when it comes to novels. In this point of view, there is an external narrator who is telling the story. The narrator  will use pronouns like he or she or even they if they are talking about a group. The omniscient narrator provides an insight to the thoughts, feelings, and impressions of all the characters and events, not just one. We receive information from an all-knowing vantage point- and we even know what’s going on when nobody is around to experience it. But the narrator can also provide a more objective or dramatic point of view, in which we are told events and allowed to react and have feelings as an observer. In this format, we are not provided the emotions, we experience emotions, based on the events we read about. While this may sound impersonal, it is just the opposite. This is much like observing a film or a play- and we know how powerful that can be! Which point of view is best? When determining which of the three points of view to use, its important to consider what type of story youre writing. If youre telling a story from a personal perspective, such as that of your main character or of your own perspective, youll want to use the first person. This is the most intimate type of writing, as it is quite personal. If what youre writing about is more informational and is providing the reader with information or instructions, then second-person is best. This is great for cookbooks, self-help books, and educational articles, like this one! If you want to tell a story from a broader point of view, knowing everything about everyone, then the third person is the way to go.  Ã‚   The importance of point of view A well-executed point of view is a crucial foundation for any piece of writing. Naturally, the point of view provides the context and backstory you need for the audience to understand the scene, and helps your audience best see your characters and interpret the material in the way you intend. But what some writers dont always realize, is that a solid point of view can actually help drive the crafting of the story. When you take narration and point of view into account, you can decide what details need to be included (an omniscient narrator knows everything, but a first-person narrator is limited to just those experiences) and can bring inspiration for creating drama and emotion. All of which are crucial to creating a quality creative work.   Article edited  by  Stacy Jagodowski